6
Motorsport is an expensive business, and the
aspiring young F1 star often has to bring his funding
with him on his way to the top. Naoise Holohan
investigates the true cost of climbing the ladder to
Formula One, and the figures are astonishing
IT’S A
RICH MAN’S
WORLD
Formula Ford: €100,000
Past Champions: Ayrton Senna, Jenson Button,
Eddie Irvine
Formula Ford is usually the first step a driver makes from karting
into single seaters. Numerous Formula Ford championships are held
around the world, although the British championship is the most
well-known. The cars feature 1.6 litre engines with slick racing tyres,
and the 2011 season featured 8 rounds of three races each at such
tracks as Silverstone, Brands Hatch and Zandvoort. A year here will
cost you approximately €100,000.
Formula BmW: €300,000
Past Champions: Sebastian Vettel, Nico
Hulkenberg, Nico Rosberg
The next step on the ladder to F1 used to be the Formula
BMW championship, although its existence has been contracted
significantly in recent years. Back in 2007 there were series in
America, UK, Asia and Germany, before shrinking to European and
Pacific series last year. BMW then pulled their support, although
the Pacific series has continued as the JK Racing Asia Series, while a
Formula BMW Talent Cup runs in Germany. In 2010, a seat in Formula
BMW Europe would cost approximately €300,000.
Formula renault 2.0: €350,000
Past Champions: Felipe Massa, Kamui Kobayashi,
Pedro de la Rosa
Forming part of the popular World Series by Renault, the Formula
Renault 2.0 class is a slight step up from Formula BMW. Based in
Europe, the series races as support to its bigger brother, Formula
Renault 3.5, with a calendar consisting mostly of Grand Prix tracks.
British Formula 3: €400,000
Past Champions: Jaime Alguersuari, Daniel
Ricciardo, Takuma Sato, Rubens Barrichello
The British F3 series is one of the longest-running junior category
in the world, having enjoyed its first season all the way back in 1951.
Since then it has been joined by many other F3 series around the
world. The blossoming of series such as GP2, GP3 and Renault World
Series in recent years has seen the importance of F3 and British
F3 drop, but with the series having highlighted talents such as
Alguersuari, Ricciardo and Jean-Eric Vergne, there’s no doubting its
credibility.
Nico Rosberg leads the start of Race 2. Formula BMW
ADAC Championship, Rd7, Nurburgring,. August 2002
Race winner Ayrton Senna, Van Diemen R81, negotiates the
chicane on the short circuit. Townsend Thoresen Formula Ford
1600 Championship, Donington Park, England, August 1981.